


flares

by bijyu



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, First Kiss, M/M, Underage Smoking, this was a drabble at first but i decided to make it longer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-02
Updated: 2017-04-02
Packaged: 2018-10-14 00:05:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,686
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10524747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bijyu/pseuds/bijyu
Summary: Donghyuck has many hiding spots but Jeno knows them all.





	

 

Donghyuck doesn't react when he hears the door to the roof creak open. He figures if it's one of the teachers he's doomed anyway so he might just as well inhale some more nicotine before he gets suspended or whatever. And if it's not a teacher, then he doesn't care.

He doesn't expect it to be Jeno. He's been avoiding Jeno for the past few days, as successfully as you can avoid someone who's in the same class as you. Well, he's been also skipping more than usual, so there's that.

"Skipping again?" Jeno asks, cocking an eyebrow at him. "And smoking on the roof. You're really asking for trouble."

Donghyuck shrugs, nonchalant. He's mastered the act of acting like he doesn't care. He knows Jeno can see right through him, though— one of the reasons he's doesn't want to be around him right now.

"You're here, means you're skipping class too," he points out.

"Yeah. And smoking," Jeno says and steals the cigarette from his hand. Donghyuck watches as Jeno puts it to his lips and inhales, then he watches a steady stream of white smoke curl out of his mouth. Jeno doesn't smoke often but he's still able to make it look so classy. Donghyuck isn't sure what it reminds him of. Maybe some angsty teenage manga. Jeno's long eyelashes and pretty, slim fingers would suit the monochrome minimalist aesthetics well.

Thing is, Jeno is a good person, one of the nicest guys Donghyuck knows. Yet sometimes he does bad things, so casually, like it's no big deal. Donghyuck wonders how come he's best friends with a goody two-shoes like Minhyung.

"Did you come here to lecture me or steal my cigarettes?"

Jeno smiles. "Neither. Both. I don't know." He takes another drag then flicks the ash off the cigarette. "You're really overdoing it these days, though. It's only a matter of time before they alert your parents again."

Donghyuck flinches. He knows it's true but he doesn't want to think or talk about it. He's been in a shitty mood. Like this it's even more likely that he gets into trouble when he actually does attend classes. He tends to talk back to teachers and get into fights with classmates. He knows it's not wise, it just happens. "Right. Careful, I'm a bad influence. You better stick to that teacher's pet."

Jeno stares at him for a moment. Then he laughs. "You mean Minhyung? Wow, that didn't sound bitter at all."

"Shut up," Donghyuck snaps. Jeno just raises his eyebrows at him and Donghyuck sighs, leaning back against the staircase wall, pushing his hands into his jacket's pockets. "I need to be angry at someone. Be glad it's not you."

"But you're angry at me too." Jeno doesn't sound upset; it's just an observation. And once again, he's right. Donghyuck might have been in love with Minhyung, but it's Jeno who broke his heart.

It's Donghyuck's own fault, though. He's the one who talked Jeno into asking Minhyung if he'd consider dating someone like him. He was almost sure the answer would be negative, but still, hearing it hurt. Jeno sounded like he felt sorry for him when he repeated Minhyung's answer to him. The pity only made it worse.

"I was," he admits. "But I'm not anymore."

"Glad to hear that." Jeno offers him the rest of the cigarette but Donghyuck shakes his head. He's had enough of the bitter taste in his mouth. Jeno drops it on the ground and puts it out with his shoe. "I've missed you around."

That makes Donghyuck smile. "Yeah, guess your boring friends can't compare to me."

Jeno snorts. "Sure. They're not enough trouble for my taste."

"Ah, so I'm your type?" Donghyuck only means to tease and he expects a joking response in return, but instead, Jeno says,

"Guess you are."

That catches Donghyuck by surprise. The scent of the cigarette smoke mixes with the smell of the spring wind playing with their hair, and the sun peeks through the clouds, making Jeno squint his eyes against the rays. Donghyuck feels strangely lightheaded.

"Then you're lucky to have me," he says. The reply is late and it comes out less confident that he intended. Soft, like the look in Jeno's eyes when he turns to smile at him, takes Donghyuck's hand in his.

It's weird. Jeno's hand feels warm and secure around his. Donghyuck stares at their linked hands, confused. It's weird, because he's never thought about kissing Jeno before. That's why for now he just lets Jeno pull him towards the door, hoping he didn't notice his flushed face. He'll think about it later.

 

*

 

It's not like Donghyuck is doing bad at school. His grades are average but not terrible, even if his parents might claim otherwise. And he actually does well in sports; he's on the football team. He's not one of those people who are constantly on the verge of being kicked out. It's just that... he has a reputation. The entire school knows his name. And sometimes being recognized is not necessarily a good thing, especially when you get in trouble. Unfortunately, Donghyuck has a knack for trouble. On most days, though, he gets along well with everyone.

"Good thing Minhyung is on the basketball team," he says, opening a water bottle. The spring air is still brisk and chilly but they've just finished soccer practice and he feels hot and thirsty. That's why he picked a spot under a tree, its shade shielding them from the sun. Jeno doesn't seem to mind. He's lying next to Donghyuck, his head rested on his backpack. "If he played soccer I wouldn't be able to stop myself from tripping him."

Jeno doesn't respond, he just chuckles. With his eyes closed and his lazy smile, he reminds Donghyuck of a cat. Jeno in general is a bit like a cat, he thinks. He's soft and calm, he doesn't like standing out but he's not a pushover. He does his own thing and he doesn't bother with people's opinions of him. Donghyuck admires that a lot. Donghyuck himself might seem carefree but he does worry what others think. He hates that part of himself, which is why he tries his best to hide it. But sometimes... sometimes he slips.

Now that he thinks about it, more often than not, Jeno is there to catch him. He's just so subtle and laid-back about it that Donghyuck lets him closer to him than he would other people.

"Anyway, I bet Minhyung sucks at soccer," he adds, just because he can. Jeno's smile grows.

"Minhyungie is one of those people who don't suck at anything. And you should really get over him."

"Do I sound like I still like him?"

Jeno opens his eyes just to give him a pointed look. "You tend to insult people you like."

Donghyuck is too distracted by the flutter of Jeno's eyelashes to respond. He suddenly remembers that day on the roof two weeks ago. Ever since then, he does think about kissing Jeno sometimes. He's thinking about it now. If he leaned in, Jeno would probably smell like fresh sweat and grass, his lips probably would be a little chapped but warm.

Donghyuck feels the blood rush to his face. Instead of Jeno's lips, he puts his lips to the rim of the bottle takes another sip. 

He thinks about kissing Jeno sometimes but he never does it. He's too stubborn and proud and— maybe a little shy, deep inside.

 

*

 

He doesn't understand how Jeno always finds him. He lives in the neighborhood but so do many other people Donghyuck knows. Yet, once again, it's Jeno who's standing over him now. Donghyuck only glances up at him briefly before looking back down on the muddy ground under the swing. Jeno's expression is neutral but Donghyuck can see the concern in his eyes and it makes him want to cry more. He's already managed to stop, too.

It's no big deal, really. Nothing new. He's cold and wet, his clothes unpleasantly sticking to his skin. His jaw and split lip hurts, so do his ribs and his knuckles. But the physical pain, he doesn't mind at all. It distracts him. The words from his parents he heard earlier that day hurt much more— but again, it's nothing new.

"You're going to catch a cold," Jeno says, holding his umbrella over Donghyuck's head. Donghyuck huffs a laugh— the effort is pointless, he's already soaked to the bone. And now Jeno is getting wet too. Dumbass.

Lee Jeno is stupid, but when he reaches out, Donghyuck still takes his hand. He lets Jeno pull him off the swing. He stumbles a bit; his ankle hurts too. He hasn't even noticed before. Jeno holds him up. He doesn't comment on his state and Donghyuck is thankful for that. He doesn't need a lecture. He's going to get another one from his parents if he doesn't manage to sneak in without them noticing that he got into a fight again.

"Were you going somewhere?" Donghyuck asks as they leave the playground. Somehow holding onto Jeno's arm makes him feel a little warmer. The sound of the rain hitting the umbrella calms him. It feels like a tiny safe spot in this mess of a world.

"Just taking a walk."

"Do you always take walks in a shitty weather?"

"Hey, I like rain. Besides, what if I find a stray kitten? Like they do in anime. I could put an umbrella over its carton box."

Donghyuck snorts, incredulous. Lee Jeno is so weird. "Seems unlikely."

"Well, I already found one," Jeno says, voice soft. It takes a few seconds for Donghyuck to catch on, and then he proceeds to blush. He should be offended, really, but with how much Jeno likes cats it's most likely a compliment in his book.  

"I'm not a kitten. More like a tiger," he replies, keeping his tone playful. He doesn't need Jeno to know he just got flustered over being called a kitten. Ridiculous.

Jeno laughs. "Sure, tiger. Next time before you get into a fight, you better call me up so I can kick some ass too. Okay?"

Jeno is not the type to beat people up, but Donghyuck doesn't doubt he could if he wanted to. Thing is, he probably doesn't want to. He's just worried and trying to show it in ways that Donghyuck can accept. He understands all of that. He feels like he's being babied, but strangely enough, he doesn't mind. Except the concern Jeno shows him makes him want to cry again. He takes a deep breath, making sure his voice is steady before he answers.

"Okay."

He's not surprised when later that day he finds four unanswered calls and a message from Jeno on his phone, asking where he is since he's not at home. A walk my ass, Donghyuck thinks, smiling.

Lee Jeno is stupid but Donghyuck really, really likes him a lot.

 

*

 

"Came to steal my cigarettes again?" Donghyuck asks, playful. He's not skipping this time. They're on their lunch break, but even though his appetite is usually impressive, right now he's not hungry. Jeno just smiles back and takes the cigarette from Donghyuck's hand. Donghyuck watches him inhale and exhale the smoke, as pretty and graceful as ever. He realizes he's smiling. He often smiles when looking at Jeno these days. He's not sure what to do with all those soft feelings so he just keeps them bottled up. He looks away, eyes wandering over the city soaked in the summer sun. Donghyuck likes summer, he likes the sun, the long days, the warm nights. It'd be ideal if he didn't get hot so easily. He feels like drowning in an icy cold pool right now.

"Something on your mind?" Jeno gives him a curious glance, passing the smoke back to him. Donghyuck pauses, staring at the cigarette between his fingers before putting it to his lips. He knows why Jeno is asking. Donghyuck has been doing pretty well at school these days, partly thanks to Jeno talking him into studying with him and Minhyung. He only agreed to trying it once at first and he thought he'd hate it, but surprisingly, he found it pretty fun. When put together, the two of them are pretty much the lamest people he's ever met but he likes them, and the way they come up with completely ridiculous ways to memorize boring facts.

But spending more time with Minhyung made him realize something. Minhyung is still nice and cute and Donghyuck still likes him, but he doesn't want to kiss him the way he wants to kiss Jeno. In fact, he probably never liked Minhyung that much. If he did, he'd confess himself. It was curiosity— because Minhyung is a boy and yet Donghyuck found him adorable.

And the reason he got so upset back then wasn't because Minhyung didn't want to go out with him. It was the way Jeno passed the news to him, the pity in his eyes. Almost as if he was saying— _you were foolish to hope, who would go out with you anyway_? He knows Jeno would never tell him something like that, but what if he thinks that? Liking someone as a friend doesn't mean you can't think they're unattractive.

"Is Minhyung straight?" he asks, because even though it's not what's bothering him, he's curious. They all talk about girls. It's what boys do, even if they're not interested, just to fit in. But Minhyung rarely comments on girls. He doesn't talk about boys either.

"Why, you still after him?"

Donghyuck shrugs. For a moment, they're quiet. The air is still and the only sounds reaching them are the cicadas chirping all around them and the distant hum of the city. The heat is suffocating. Donghyuck doesn't think he can stay here much longer. He offers the smoke to Jeno but Jeno pushes his hand away.

"I should tell you something," he says slowly. Donghyuck glances at him; Jeno is not facing him, his eyes fixed on some distant point. Donghyuck thinks that if he had any talent for it, he'd draw a thousand pictures of Jeno's profile. "Minhyungie didn't say no because he didn't like you or anything like that. It's because he wouldn't do that to me."

Donghyuck stares. The cigarette slips from his fingers but he pays it no mind. "What do you mean?"

"Uh." Jeno gives him a smile, and he'd seem calm to most people except Donghyuck knows him well and he's never seen him this nervous. And at that moment he knows, even before Jeno says it. He also realizes something. That day, it wasn't pity that he saw. It was guilt, because Jeno wasn't telling him the whole truth. "That you can still go for it. He might agree eventually."

Donghyuck can't help but laugh at that. "Ah, what are you saying? That's not what I'm asking about, you idiot.”

"Then..." Jeno hesitates. And Donghyuck decides he's done waiting. Right now, more than nervous, he's relieved. That all those feelings he's been having, they might mean something to someone else, not just him. He takes a step closer, grabs Jeno's arm none too gently, and presses his lips to his.

It's brief and awkward, and he barely can feel anything aside from his heart pounding in his chest. When he pulls back, Jeno looks dazed, and Donghyuck is quite proud that he managed to put that expression on his face. Who'd have guessed. The handsome, laid-back Lee Jeno seems to like him this much.   

Then Jeno laughs; Donghyuck loves the warm sound and the cute eye-smile. The next second, Jeno is kissing him again, and this time Donghyuck definitely feels it. It's funny, he thinks, that even though their mouths taste of cigarettes, the kiss, somehow, is almost sweet.

For this he thinks it might be worth to skip class again, just once in a while.

 

 

 

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**Author's Note:**

> at first i posted it as a 700w drabble but i decided i wanted to make it longer so... sorry for suddenly deleting that drabble haha.  
> it's probably obvious but mark is haechan and jeno's age in this fic. also i went with "minhyung" instead of mark bc in the fic mark never lived in canada  
> nohyuck are awkward silly kids in this so i still want to write something with them being a soft couple and cuddling lots, lol.
> 
> i hope you enjoyed the fic~


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